I have had a very bad experience with du. On September 23, 2017, two sales agents from du were standing near the Al Fahidi Metro Station at a du counter and wearing du’s uniform. They were carrying an activation machine and du ID card. They met with me and offered a Sim card with a promotion offer. They offered 1GB data, 300 flexible minutes and a Lenovo phone for Dh75 a month. They said the contract was actually for Dh150, but in a promotion, they were giving it away for Dh75 for six months. Then, the contract would be cancelled or we could convert it to a prepaid account. I purchased the Sim card and activated it on the spot with their machine.

The next day, I found out that I had been cheated. I received a contract from du that the Sim card was based on postpaid connections, with a payment of Dh150 per month. I called the customer care number and they said that there is a promotion offer, but it was only valid for three months, and was not activated on my phone. They told me I had to visit the business centre and activate it. I visited the du office in Al Khaleej Centre to file a complaint. The way customer care representatives responded to me was very rude. This was happening within a 100-metre radius from their office, where they were selling the product. They did not accept my complaint and said that I had to continue with the contract for Dh150.

To obtain any postpaid connection, we need to submit a salary certificate, original Emirates ID or passport, etc. But I had presented only my Emirates ID when taking the Sim card. Why were postpaid connections activated without the above mentioned documents? They put in the wrong home address on the contract, too. I am very disappointed with du. I am sharing this experience so that it does not happen to anyone else. I request Gulf News to help me solve this matter. They need to curb fake agents or dealers. They should also cancel this postpaid connection without any additional cost.

From Mr Nikhil Mohan

Dubai

The management of du responds:

In response to Mr Mohan’s complaint, we have investigated his complaint concerning a contract with our partner Soft Tech. The customer was made aware of two offers available at Soft Tech and selected the one offering a free handset as part of a six-month agreement. Once the contract was signed and line activated, the customer wanted to cancel and asked du to waive all foreclosure fees. As the customer has kept the handset, we have made the customer aware he is liable to pay for the full six-month contract.

The reader responds:

This is absolutely wrong, as I was not aware about the two offers. The salesperson offered me only one deal – a six-month contract for Dh75 and the handset absolutely free. That is why I signed the contract. When the management of du called me, I explained the same thing to them and they agreed to cancel the contract without any cancellation fees, but said I would need to pay usage charge. Since they agreed on October 11, 2017, I haven’t use the mobile phone. I am ready to return the handset as well. Actually, a du representative has agreed to cancel the contract and they can check my call with du on October 11, 2017. Please do the needful to solve this issue as soon as possible. Thank you Gulf News, for your effort.

The management of du responds:

In response to Mr Mohan, and further to our prior investigations, we at du have confirmed that Mr Mohan had selected an offer that includes a free handset as part of a six-month agreement after he was made aware of two available offers from Soft Tech. The customer had initially requested to cancel the offer and asked du to waive all foreclosure fees after the contract was signed and the line was activated. During the intervening days, we have reached an amicable compromise with the customer. The customer is satisfied with the resolution. The complaint is closed from our end.

The reader responds:

Thank you very much Gulf News. Appreciate all the effort to resolve this issue.

(Process initiation: October 16, 2017. Response from organisation: October 18, 2017. Process completion: December 20, 2017.)

Editor’s note: Do you have similar issues that you would like to raise with us? You can write to us at readers@gulfnews.com.